Location: Umtanum to Red's

Anglers: Steve, Jason, Johnny

Time: 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm

Flies: sz. 12 Carey Stimulator, sz. 10 Ugyn Bug, sz. 12 Royal Coachman

Results: (7) fish landed - smallest: 12", largest: 16"

We enjoyed a short float in Jason's brand new low profile Clackacraft. The big fish are definitely looking up, but you need to be patient on the hookset - they are eating the flies very slowly. If we've said it once, we've said it a million times: get the fly close to the grass banks! The time period from 10:00am until 4:00pm has been the most poductive time of day for hopper fishing. In the evenings, we've been going with the standard Stimulator and other attractor fly patterns and have enjoyed some success.

>>>

8/26/02

Location: 19 to Reds

Anglers: Hank, Tyler, and Jason

Flies: Orange Stimulator, King Fischer Hopper

Time: 5:00 pm-8:00 pm

Results: (6) fish landed (lots of opportunities)

We found a lot of fish looking up last night. They are still holding tight to the grassy banks and seemed to prefer a deadrifted fly as opposed to the twitch. Flow levels look good and the weather forecast calls for some cooler temps later on this week. A little cloud cover can really turn things on in an afternoon!

>>>

8/25/02

Location: Ringer to Red’s

Anglers: Steve and Sparky

Flies: Stimulators, Terrantulas, Phat Fly

Time: 10:00 am – 8:00 pm

Results: (12) fish landed (lots of opportunities)

The dry fly fishing yesterday was the best it’s been for the last 3-4 weeks. We found lots of fish looking up, including a fair number of decent fish. All of the flies we fished were drawing attention, but I would have to say that the color orange was the best producer. We found fish looking up all day, but the first two hours and another hour in the afternoon when some cloud cover moved in were peak times. Saturday morning we put on at 5:30am and floated to the Slab. We fished streamers for the first half hour, through some great water, and did not turn a fish. We finally tricked a few around 7:00 am on dries, but the early morning bite was not on. Also, last night we saw some quality fish in the last hour of daylight, but overall activity was slower than it has been for the dusk session. Peak activity right now seems to be more concentrated for the late on and early off routine.

>>>

8/23/02

Location: Ringer to Red’s

Anglers: Steve, Dan, Rod

Flies: Chernobyls, Stimulators, Phat Fly

Time: 2:00 – 8:00 pm

Results: Certain times of the day were slower, but overall we had a great day – the biggest fish we landed was about 16”

My good friend and former guiding partner, Dan Paschkie, came out and fished yesterday. Dan enjoyed his first trip down the Yakima River, and I enjoyed watching him fish the Yakima River. He is a great angler and he brought up some fish that the average angler does not see. It was always a pleasure guiding with Dan on the Blackfoot River in Montana. The fish are still holding tight to the grassy banks and seemed to prefer a slight twitch in presentation yesterday.

>>>

8/21/02

Location: Red’s to Lmuma

Anglers: Steve and Jason

Flies: Sz. 6 Yuk Bug w/ sz. 18 Copper John Dropper, sz. 8 Kingfisher Hopper

Time: 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm

Results: (3) fish landed (16”, 14”, 10”)

Nymph fishing was fairly productive, aided by the fact that we did commit some of the better water on this section to nymphing. We landed one nice feisty 16”er and had a couple of other nice fish on. The fish we caught on nymphs were on both bugs. We fished the hopper on the backside of the alfalfa pasture and brought up a few fish tight along the grass. The weather has been beautiful this week, except for a few gusts of wind that have come up in the evenings. The evening temps. are starting to drop into the forties, and dark is coming a little earlier. Fall is just around the corner. Hopper fishing should continue through the month and into September and some tan Summer Stones are still emerging. The next big bug we’ll be seeing will be the October Caddis. Blue Winged Olives are hatching sporadically in the afternoon now, but will not come off with enough consistency for the fish to key on them until the temperatures cool and daylight shortens. If this Spring and Summer are indicators of how things will go this Fall – we’re in for a real treat!

>>>

8/20/02

Location: Lmuma

Angler: Steve

Flies: sz.10 Double Beaded Prince w/ sz. 18 red Copper John dropper

Time: 8:00pm – 9:00pm

Results: Landed (3) including one 18”er (lots of other hookups)

Nymph fishing was very productive last night – possibly as good as I’ve seen it this year. I caught and hooked all of the fish that I saw on the Red Copper John. The bigger, heavier bug is essential to nymph fishing because it gets your smaller bug down into the “fish zone.” Flows have remained steady between 4100 and 4250 cfs, and they should stay there for another couple of weeks (Labor Day weekend traditionally marks the beginning of the flow reduction to post irrigation levels). Expect a decrease in river traffic this weekend as many folks save up their travel time and expense for the holiday weekend.

>>>

8/18/02

Location: Big Horn to Slab

Anglers: Dave, David, Steve

Flies: sz. 6 Matt’s Stone, sz. 18 Copper John, sz. 8 Dave’s Hopper

Time: 4:00 – Dark

Results: 7 fish landed (15” largest)

We fished nymphs for about the first hour and then switched over to Hoppers. Nymph fishing was pretty productive with the smaller bugs starting to produce. We turned some nice fish on Hoppers along the grassy banks. If we’ve said it once we’ve said it a million times: put your fly as close to the grass as you possibly can – 1” from the grass is better than 3”! We did hook what may have been the biggest fish I’ve seen this year. We were not able to get him to hand, but it was a pretty sight!

>>>

8/17/02

Location: Ringer to Red’s

Anglers: Mike, Bruce, Steve

Flies: Matt’s Stone, Soft Hackle Pheasant Tail, Phat Fly (black), Hopper

Time: 3:30 – 8:30 pm

I would describe the nymph fishing as the same that it has been for the last few weeks: fair, but still the most productive way to hook fish in the dog days of summer. The dry fly fishing has been a little tougher, but the fish are eating hoppers regularly if you get them in the right location. We did get into a fairly good caddis emergence above the Rock Garden, but caught mostly smaller fish. The weather is going to cool a bit this weekend and the moon is waxing, so we may see those big dogs start looking up again soon. Expect another busy weekend traffic-wise on the river, as it looks like campgrounds are filling up.

>>>

8/14/02

Location: Umtanum to Roza

Anglers: Steve, Jerry, and Lynn

Flies: Hoppers, Droppers, Ugyn Bug, Stimulators

Time: 7:30am – 1:00pm

Results: 9 fish landed

Fishing during the day has been tougher these last few weeks. The nymph fishing game has been good, but dry fly activity has been slower in the bright sunshine. Our most productive dropper fly was a soft hackle Red Fox Squirrel nymph. We had good luck two nights ago fishing big Stimulators in the evening. Caddis activity is fair on calm evenings. We’re anxiously awaiting the arrival of the October Caddis, which we won’t start seeing the adults for a while, but nymphs should start moving in the next couple of weeks.

>>>

8/7/02

Location: Red’s to Slab

Anglers: Steve and Chico

Flies: sz. 8 Dirty Yellow Stimulator, sz. 8 Kingfisher Hopper

Time: 5:30 pm – dark

Results: 7 fish landed 13” largest)

The weather has been a little cooler the last few days (evening low of 47 degrees two nights ago), and it looks like the cooler weather will stay with us for a while. Daytime highs are projected for low to mid 80’s through the coming weekend, to be accompanied by some nice sunshine and calm conditions. The river is flowing at 4032 cfs currently, and remains in great shape. Dry fly fishing is still the most productive early in the morning and later in the evening. During the day, deep water nymphing has been the game, with some streamer fishing mixed in. Water temps have remained very favorable throughout the summer and the fish are in great shape, which is also a reflection of anglers taking care when handling and releasing fish.

>>>

8/4/02

Location: Big Horn to Red’s

Anglers: Tyler, Jason, Joe

Flies: Yellow, Tan, Red Chernobyl

Time: 8:30 pm- Dark

Results: 9 fish landed (14” biggest)

Even though we landed most of the fish we brought up last night, things were a little slower than it’s been for the last few weeks. There were caddis on the water after 8:00 pm, and fish were eating them in certain locations. The fish we caught ate the big foam flies on a dead drift, as opposed to the twitch. Conditions were actually calm and sunny through most of the afternoon. Currently (8/4), there is a slight breeze, but not enough to make fishing or rowing uncomfortable.

>>>

8/1/02

Location: Ringer to Red’s

Anglers: Steve, John, and Heidi

Flies: Hoppers, Chernobyls, Stimulators

Time: 4:30 until dark

Results: 7 fish landed (15” biggest)

For the first calm evening that we have had in the last 5 days, I expected things to be a little better. We could have picked up more fish on caddis, as there were fish up on them in some spots, but we stayed with the big dries and the hope of seeing some better fish. The river flows for the canyon are staying around 4200 – 4300 cfs. The river is still moving at 4 mph, and we recommend doing a longer float day at these levels. 10-16 miles is feasible and gives you a little flexibility to push ahead if you find yourself in a “traffic” jam.

>>>

7/30/02

Location: Big Horn to Red’s

Anglers: Steve, Mike, and Tyler

Flies: Chernobyls, Madam X’s, Stimulators, etc…

Time: 6:00pm to 8:30pm

Results: 5 fish landed (10”- 15”)

This was the toughest the evening fishing has been for a while. Most of the fish we saw didn’t come up until about the last half hour of the float. We probably should have put in about the time we were taking out. Fish seemed to like the bugs dead drifted yesterday as opposed to slightly twitched.

>>>

7/29/02

Location: Beavertail

Anglers: Jason and Hank

Flies: sz. 6 Chernobyl (orange/brown), CDC caddis Emerger

Time: 7:30 pm to 8:30 pm

Results: 8 fish landed (10”-14”)

Strong winds made casting and rowing difficult for most of the weekend, but certain areas remained active for dry fly fishing. Weekend recreation traffic was a little lighter than the past weekend, probably due in part to cooler weather and windy conditions. The recreation traffic starts at Big Horn and Ringer around 11:00 am until 2:00 pm, and then moves down river at about 4 miles an hour. By about 4:00 pm, the upper accesses are pretty well cleared out, and the lower accesses (Slab and Roza) are starting to get the pull out traffic. The best game plan for fishing is to put on early in the morning and fish, then pull over for lunch about 1:00 or 2:00 and let some of that stuff go past you. Another option is to put on later in the afternoon and stay behind it the entire time.

>>>

7/28/02

Location: Big Horn to Red’s

Anglers: Tyler and Hank

Flies: sz. 6 Chernobyl (brown/ tan)

Time: 7:00pm put in

Results: 6 fish landed (lots of aggressive takes) largest fish 15”

Tyler and Hank claim to have rolled the biggest fish they have seen on the Yakima (in the Rock Garden). Two nights ago the caddis fishing was terrific, even in the wind. Last night, we found quite a few fish looking for the big flies again. If you can withstand the rubber hatch, the weekend fishing is definitely worthwhile. Look for the early morning bite to pick up as water temps warm during the day.

>>>

7/26/02

Location: Mile Post #10

Anglers: Steve and Tony

Flies: sz. 6 Matt’s Stone, sz. 16 Gold Lightening Bug

Time: 8:30pm – 9:30pm

Results: (1) 17” Rainbow landed

Last night the wind picked up and it looks like that may continue through today. Weekend temperatures are forecast for the mid 80’s with wind likely in the afternoons. We’re starting to see the hopper fishing pick up, which will get stronger as we go into the hot dry month of August. Windy days can be some of the better days for pitching hoppers, as they tend to lose some control of their flight and get blown into the water.

>>>

7/25/02

Location: Upper canyon (Ringer to Big Horn)

Anglers: Steve, Joe, Harold

Flies: Lightening Bug, Prince Nymph

Time: 10:00 am – 11:00 am

Results: (3) fish landed

Nymph fishing was pretty good throughout the morning. The lightening bug nymphs in gold and silver both seemed to attract a lot of attention. We took off the water at 7:00 pm last night, which was a little early to catch the evening dry fly activity. Big fish are still looking for the Summer Stonefly imitations, although they may be getting a little more difficult to trick. Drag free drifts with caddis are essential and even using 6X tippet is not a bad idea.

>>>

7/24/02

Location: Red’s to Lmuma

Anglers: Steve and Natalie

Flies: Kingfisher and Electric Blue Stimulator

Time: 8:00 pm to 9:00 pm

Results: (1) 16”er landed

Natalie caught a fish we’ve fondly named Bubba, who lives in our lower boat launch area. Fishing was a little slower last night. Evening thunderstorms rolled through dumping lots of rain upriver in the Big Horn area, and just a few drops here. The river has crept up to 4122 cfs this morning. Yesterday was cloudy for most of the day and daytime caddis fishing reports were fantastic. Overall, the river remains basically the same as the past couple of weeks, and our strategies have not changed.

>>>

7/23/02

Location: Umtanum to Slab

Anglers: Jason, Tyler

Flies: Tan Chernobyl

Time: 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm

Results: About 10 fish landed (14” was the largest)

The evening fishing was back on again last night. The Summer Stone imitations continue to be the ticket, but don’t be afraid to try caddis patterns, hopper patterns, and some big Stimulators. We have been using two particular patterns for Summer Stones that have definitely out-performed the rest (para Chernobyl and Kingfisher). The entire canyon section seems to be fishing pretty uniformly right now – it’s just a matter of where you happen to be when the switch goes on and the fish start looking up. The river rose slightly over 4000 cfs yesterday (the first time in several weeks that it has hit 4k), and is currently flowing at 3956 cfs this morning. The water flow has been well managed these past few weeks, rising at a manageable 100 cfs-200 cfs per day. The fishing has held pretty steady through it all, and now we should expect to see flows and fishing stabilize around 4000 cfs for the duration of the summer.

>>>

7/22/02

Location: Slab to Roza

Anglers: Tyler, Hank, Jason

Flies: Kingfisher Hopper

Time: 8:00pm to 9:00 pm

Results: (5) total fish landed, 17” was the biggest

The evening fishing last night seemed a little slower than it had been for the last few weeks. The ones we did entice to come up were quality fish, and we did miss quite a few strikes. Nymph fishing is still productive during the day, particularly on the upper sections of the canyon (Ringer to Big Horn). The caddis patterns including elk hair, deer hair, X, and emergers are still drawing interest in the late afternoon whether there are a lot of naturals on the water or not.

>>>

7/19/02

Location: Lmuma

Anglers: Steve, Joe, Brian

Flies: sz. 6 Matt’s Stone, sz. 16 Black Beaded Prince

Time: 10:00 am- 11:00 am

Results: (3) fish landed (10”-15”)

Every time we have taken a boat out of the water in the last 10 days, (after leaving them in all night), we have seen 20-50 adult summer stones (males and females) scurrying out from underneath. The dry fly action with the big flies continues to be good in the afternoons. Nymph fishing has been steady through the heat of the day, with the dry fly fishing picking up about 4:00 pm. For those of you who like to throw dries exclusively, we recommend fishing the lower section (to Roza) and throwing hoppers tight against the grassy banks. The river is running at nearly 3800 cfs now, and is moving approximately 3.5 to 4 mph. A comfortable days float can cover 10 to 16 miles.

>>>

7/17/02

Location: Beavertail

Angler(s): Jason, Luke

Flies: sz. 6 G-Hopper, Elk Hair Caddis

Time: 8:00 pm – 9:00 pm

Results: (9) fish landed – 10”-15”

Yesterday was a fairly calm day and the caddis came off in good numbers about 8:20 pm. There were a lot of fishing rising to naturals last night. Today (7/17) and tomorrow are both supposed to be a bit breezy with gusts forecast up to 18 mph. If this is the case, look for another great evening of caddis activity on Friday night when things calm down. The river is currently up to 3514 cfs at our place and remains in great shape.

>>>

7/16/02

Location: Mile Post #19

Angler: Jason

Flies: sz. 6 Brown and Gold Chernobyl, sz. 16 Elk Hair Caddis, sz. 16 CDC Caddis Emerger

Time: 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm

Results: (2) Rainbows, (1) smolt 8”- 12”

The fishing slowed down last night on the bigger dry fly patterns. Smaller fish seemed willing to eat the caddis imitations, but the bigger fish we’d been seeing lately were scarce. The river has been slowly and steadily climbing these last three days, as expected, and is currently flowing at 3475 cfs at Umtanum. Clarity and visibility are good throughout the system. Look for flows to continue the slow and steady rise until they hit the mean summertime flow of about 3800 cfs.

>>>

7/15/02

Location: Big Horn to Red’s

Angler: Hank, Tyler, and Jason

Flies: sz. 8 Kingfisher Hopper, sz. 8 Yellow and Tan Chernobyl Ant

Time: 7:30 pm 9:30 pm

Results: Multiple big fish landed including an 18” fatty caught by Hank

The window between 7:30 and 9:30 pm proves to be the most productive time of the day. The fish are still coming up despite the heat and wind. Big hoppers and Chernobyl’s generate interest from bigger fish, while the caddis fishing continues to produce numbers with an occasional big fish in the mix. Presentation is key – a drag free drift is essential to get fish up consistently on caddis. Nymph fishing is the most productive option during the heat of the day. A suggestion for releasing fish: when using a big dry or big nymph, the fly will most often be partially sticking out of the fishes mouth when you bring it in. Simply grab your tippet about a foot above the fly and slide your fingers down it until you can pinch the head of the fly – then just turn the fly upside down and let the fish fall off the barbless hook back into the water.

>>>

7/13/02

Location: Big Horn to Red’s

Angler: Steve and Tony

Flies: sz. 8 Kingfisher Hopper, sz. Ugyn Bug, sz. 6 Matt’s Stone, sz. 16 Lightening Bug

Time: 3:30 pm 9:30 pm

Results: (8) fish landed (10”-17”)

Once again, the last 2 hours of daylight proved to be the most active. We fished nymphs until about 5:00 pm and then switched to the big dries. Caddis are still active in the evenings, particularly in the Beavertail, the last mile above the Slab, and the smooth water above Roza. Today is a windy day on the water and tomorrow is supposed to be breezy, too. Keep your vehicle at 45 mph coming down the canyon – it’s a sure bet that there’s a patrol officer watching from somewhere.

>>>

7/12/02

Location: Red’s to Slab

Angler: Hank and Tyler

Flies: sz. 8 King Fisher, sz. 8 Tan/Brown Chernobyl Ant

Time: 5:30 pm - 9:30 pm

Results: (8) fish landed 10”-16”

Although we had some periods in this float where we did not see a rise for a while, the quality fish are still looking up and eating the big dry flies. The river is stable and the weather is heating up (105 degree projected high today). Look for the early morning bite to start picking up as the water temperature starts to climb.

>>>

7/11/02

Location: Red’s to Slab

Angler: Tyler and John

Flies: sz. 16 Peacock Bodied Elk Hair Caddis, sz.6 Tan/ Brown Chernobyl Ant

Time: 7:30 pm – 9:30 pm

Results: (11) fish landed 10”-15”

The evening caddis activity was fantastic last night. We started seeing bugs at about 6:30 pm. The river remains low (3141 cfs) and the fishing has been consistently good now for about a week.

>>>

7/10/02

Location: Mile Post #9

Angler: Jason

Flies: sz. 8 Orange Parachute Stimulator, sz. 6 Black Conehead 20”er

Time: 7:00 pm – 8:00pm

Results: 2 trout landed (12”), 1 Squawfish landed (15”)

Caddis were just starting to get thick at about 8:00pm – when the mosquitoes finally drove Jason out of there! The river is still low and the fish are still feeding like they have been for the last four or five days. Big dry flies continue to be effective through the afternoon and the nymph fishing is picking up the slack times during the heat of the day. Today is HOT (98 degrees on the thermometer at the shop) and tomorrow is going to be HOTTER (100 degrees). Keep an eye on water temps, which have been fine so far. The early morning bite should start to pick up a bit as the water warms throughout the summer.

>>>

7/9/02

Location: Ringer to Umtanum

Anglers: Steve and Jeff

Flies: sz. 6 Tan Chernobyl and sz. 14 Peacock bodied Elk Hair Caddis

Put In: 4:30 pm Takeout: 9:30 pm

Results: (9) fish landed 10”-15”

Yesterday was a bit on the windy side, but the weather is supposed to be calm and sunny for the next three days. It did calm down about 6:00 pm, which made for a great caddis emergence. We are supposed to be looking at temperatures in the high nineties by Friday. The river remains at below average flows and the fishing is still steady. During the heat of the day, it is important to get your fly right on the edge of the grass when fishing big dries. The fish tend to hunker down in the bright sunlight and they are not wanting to come out from the cover. Jerry Wilkerson coined the phrase, “if your fly is 3” from the grass, then it’s 3” too far!” When the sun sets and the banks become shaded, look for the fish to move out from the bank a little bit and use a little less caution when attacking the big dries.

>>>

7/8/02

Location: Mile Post #19 to Red’s

Anglers: Johnny and Jennifer

Flies: sz. 8 Red Madam X and sz. 16 CDC caddis emerger

Time: Put In: 4:00 pm Takeout: 8:30pm

Results: (5) fish landed (12”-16”)

The river is on its way up a little bit today, but don’t be alarmed – it’s still below normal flows for this time of year and is in great shape. The dry fly fishing in the afternoon is still good. Today is a bit breezy out here, but it looks like things will be calming down and heating up for the latter part of this week. This afternoon we are hoping to have a report for you on the hopper fishing if we can break away!

>>>

7/7/02

Location: Big Horn to Red’s

Anglers: Hank, Tyler, Jason

Flies: sz. 6 tan Chernobyl, Bar Fly

Time: 8:30 pm to 9:30 pm

Results: 7 fish landed including (2) by Hank that were about 18”, lots of aggressive takes

The low water levels have made for some fantastic fishing these last few days. Anglers are catching fish on nymphs, dries, and streamers. The caddis and PMD’s have continued to come off along with Yellow Sallies and a strong emergence of Summer Stones (sz. 8-10). Hopper activity is picking up everyday, and the grassy banks of the lower canyon are prime targets. While fishing has remained steady throughout the day, (with some mid-day dry spells for dries), the last hour of daylight is still the prime time to be on the water.

>>>

7/5/02

Location: Lmuma

Anglers: Sean and Steve

Flies: sz.6 conehead 20”er w/ sz. 16 black beadhead Pheasant Tail dropper

Time: 7:30-8:30 pm

Results: Steve (4), Sean (2) all 10”-15”

The river is currently in great shape and the fishing is good. Yesterday was a little too windy to see a great caddis flight, although towards dark caddis numbers were building. There are a LOT of summer stones (tan body) coming off right now (like all stones, they come off at night so the emergence is evidenced by shucks on the banks) and the nymph activity in the water is significant. Our 20”er pattern is a great imitation for these nymphs. Overall, the nymph fishing has been very productive and we expect the dry fly fishing to pick up again, as these fish have now had some time to adjust to these reduced flows.

>>>

7/4/02

We didn’t get a chance to get out yesterday, so I apologize for not having a report for today. The river is still in great shape (2640 cfs) and reports yesterday were favorable for almost everyone we talked to. The wind blew fairly hard yesterday and it is supposed to be breezy today, too, and then calm down for Saturday and Sunday. We did see quite a few tan summer stones early this morning in our campground, and the hoppers we’d seen a week ago are now about a size 12.

>>>

7/3/02

The river is now down to 2707 cfs this morning and still appears to be dropping. There was a pretty good caddis emergence yesterday. The weather is a little cooler today and there is a slight breeze, which could pick up throughout the day.

>>>

7/2/02

Location: The Slab

Angler: Steve

Fly: Sz. 8 Dirty Yellow Stimulator

Time: 8:00pm – 9:00pm

Results: Lots of takedowns, 2 fish landed (12”, 15”)

There was a lot of action on the big dry fly last night. The river is currently down to 3693 cfs this morning and really could not be in better shape (it has come down 1300 cfs in the last two days!). The extended forecast shows a good weather outlook throughout the rest of the week and into the weekend. The last few days had been a little on the breezy side, but things calmed down to a tolerable level yesterday and seem manageable this morning. Make your plans to come over and take advantage of the favorable conditions.